
The Monocle Weekly
Conversations with authors, artists, and business leaders shaping the world. Monocle’s longest-running show delivers insights and interviews weekly.
Latest Episodes

Matthew Herbert, Val McDermid and Andrew Martin
Musician Matthew Herbert explains his Brexit Big Band project that’s designed to celebrate European collaboration, we meet crime writer Val McDermid to discuss the Wellcome Book Prize and science’s role in literature, and novelist Andrew Martin discusses his book ‘Night Trains’, which looks at how long-distance rail travel helped shape…

Rodney Graham, Paul Keedwell and Roberto Fonseca
Canadian visual artist Rodney Graham stops by the studio to discuss his new career retrospective “Rodney Graham: That’s not Me”, and new album “Gondoliers”. Plus: a psychiatry and mood expert explains his book “Headspace: The Psychology of City Living”, and Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca on recent album “ABUC”.

Kelly Reichardt, Steven Cantor, Gabrielle Tana and Hugo Chapman
Director Kelly Reichardt on her new film ‘Certain Women’, the British Museum’s Hugo Chapman on how the US reacts to social change via art and print and film-makers Steven Cantor and Gabrielle Tana on the appeal of ballet and why they chose the prodigal talent of Sergei Polunin to be…

Survive, Tiffanie Darke, Chris Sidwells and Matt Barbet
We’re joined by Survive, the Texan electronic band whose members created the hit soundtrack for Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’. Plus: journalist Tiffanie Darke considers what it means to belong to Generation X and cycling specialists Chris Sidwells and Matt Barbet on the history of the humble cycling jersey.

Ling Lee, Nadine Chahine, Alicia Bastos and DJ Limao
We talk to Ling Lee, co-curator of ‘Robots’, the new exhibition at London’s Science Museum, which looks at the relationship between humans and our mechanical friends. Plus: typographer Nadine Chahine on how to make fonts more recognisable and a preview of this weekend’s Rio Carnival with culture and music specialists…

Bettany Hughes, Ander Monson and Philip Hook
We retrace Istanbul’s identities with Bettany Hughes, author of ‘Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities’. Essayist Ander Monson explains writing project ‘March Fadness’, which celebrates music’s one-hit wonders. And Philip Hook, senior director from Sotheby’s, discusses ‘Rogues’ Gallery: A History of Art and its Dealers’, showing how art dealers can…

Derek Thompson, Graham Fink and Julius Wiedemann
We learn the secret ingredients and shadowy forces behind what creates a hit – be it a song, app or meme – with Derek Thompson, author of new book ‘Hit Makers’. Plus, artist and ad man Graham Fink explains his new exhibition ‘Stone Souls’ and some of his most famous…

Robin Lustig, Nathan Hill and Andrew Wong
Journalist and foreign-affairs specialist Robin Lustig joins us to discuss his life as a newsman, as detailed in his new book ‘Is Anything Happening?’ We also meet Nathan Hill, writer of ‘The Nix’ – the debut novel that’s been lauded by critics and snapped up for a future TV series…

Ben Fountain, Dan Tickner and Mark Craig
Author Ben Fountain reflects on the week that saw Donald Trump inaugurated as the US president and tells us how his book ‘Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk’ – which has been adapted by Oscar-winning director Ang Lee – became a hit. Plus: music specialist Dan Tickner introduces his new title…

Dale Pinnock, Ed Eisler and Tomos Lewis
Dale Pinnock, known as the ‘medicinal chef’, gives Robert Bound and Tom Edwards food for thought as we start the new year. We also find out where to find the world’s best teas with Ed Eisler, founder of Jing Tea, and Monocle’s Tomos Lewis discusses the virtues of waterside living…